After getting home from the IBO in Batavia, N.Y., last Sunday, I was irritated. Although most people would be ecstatic if they scored the round that I shot, I knew I needed to work on something. A few days later, I talked to George Connors for a long time on the phone, and we discussed the peaks and valleys we traveled over and across during the weekend. 

  When it was time to discuss some of the issues I've been battling, George gave me some sound advice. He told me that I had to change my mindset and pretend the target was just any normal backstop and to shoot my shot like I was in a tournament that rounds were timed. Since I've never timed out in an indoor event, this mindset would force me to make a good shot once I began aiming. 

  After talking with George, I texted back and forth with Jacob for a bit, too. Jacob's advice was to shoot a different release for a while. He also advised the same thing a few weeks ago, and that's when I started shooting other releases regularly. While practicing I spent a lot of time using my Stan SX2 and my Tru-Ball HBC. I quickly learned that my accuracy is the best with a hinge, but I need to be completely relaxed to get that accuracy. As I practiced, my shot began to feel good again. However, in the few weeks of trying, I never got to the point where I felt comfortable with the accuracy on a 3D target. My SX2 fired the best, but I seemed to get unexplainable high shots, and it seemed to randomly hit a little bit to the right. I would not hesitate to shoot that release in a tournament, though. I think I could hold my own with it again. After all, it was my primary release since the year it was designed and hit the market. A few years back, after changing my draw length, I began using an index trigger release and have stayed with once since that time. It seems easier to relax. 

  On Saturday night, I finally got a few hours of relatively calm conditions. Although it was breezy, it was nothing like the previous days of the week. I shot my Carter 2-shot and my Tru-Ball Execute and decided I would use one -- or both -- of them at the IBO shoot in Massachusetts the next day. They both fired well, and I set the trigger heavier on both of them that it has been set on the release that I've been shooting for a while. 

                                                               Off to the Shoot

  Dad and I met Wade, Jeff and Jacob in Saratoga on Sunday morning. Although we would be a little cramped for the drive, it was good to be together. We all get along, and we all support each other. It always makes it easier when traveling with good people. Unfortunately, Jeff still can't shoot. He won't be released to shoot until next weekend. He had surgery a few weeks ago, and the doctor said Jeff needed to take a break. Since he couldn't shoot, he wanted to go so he could judge targets and look at them in a tournament setting. He made a great choice. That's thinking ahead to be prepared. I don't know many others who would do the same thing. That's the difference between horses that run in the back of the pack and the ones that are always in the thick of the pack when they hit the backstretch. 

  Upon arriving at Nimrod in Princeton, Mass., it was really nice to see all of the archers in one place at the same time. I've seen a lot of them here and there over the last year, but not everyone in the same place at the same time. I probably would have seen the same last weekend at the ASA if I had arrived a little earlier.  

  I shot a few warmup arrows and didn't feel great about where they landed, but I felt pretty good about my execution. After riding in a cramped vehicle, it can take a bit to warm up and get everything stretched out. After a few minutes, I began feeling a little better. 

  When they came out with the cards, they decided to keep all of us who rode together in the same group. That way I could be with my dad. Since he has lost a lot of strength, I feel better if I'm close to him. Last weekend he struggled a little near the end of the day. The day took its toll on him, and it appeared from Jason's explanation of the range, that the day's walk would be about the same as what we encountered in Connecticut last week. 

                                                     Shooters to the Line... the Horn Sounds

  There was a little bit of a backup when we got to the first target, so we had to wait a bit. I got to watch Jason Kennedy and Joe Santos shoot their shots. The first target was a mountain lion, and it was a tough one to start on. It was long and set so we had to shoot between two trees. Glancing at the target, I rolled my site to the general neighborhood of what I though the target might be set at for distance. This is something I do every time I walk to the next target. I do this to prevent me from not moving my site from the last target. This ensures that I will most likely never miss a target by forgetting one of the most important steps. 

  Jacob led the target off and made a good shot. His arrow provided a great marker for me. When I drew my bow, the pin settled quickly and I waited for my shot to fire. It sat as still as the full moon in a dark sky. Then, it fired. The arrow hit directly behind the pin... 11. I was off to a good start, and I made good on what George and I had discussed. I did what I needed to do, and it felt really good. I made an incredible shot... with no tension.

  As I walked to the second target, I felt as if a burden had been lifted off my shoulders. As I settled into my aim on the second target and waited patiently, my pin sat nicely right where I thought the 11 should be located. When the shot broke, I knew I had it. I guess that's what they call a great shot that hits behind the pin, but the archer aimed in the wrong spot I missed it by a quarter of an inch to the right. When I strolled up to target number three, it appeared that the antelope was leaning slightly backward. I knew it was going to be tough to aim at, but I did my best. Once again, I barely missed the 11, but I made up for it on the wolverine, centering it. Every shot up to that point had followed the plan that George and I mapped out for me to follow. I loaded into my back and patiently waited while relaxing my forearm as much as possible. My release hand tends to get tension in it because of tension in my forearm. I know if I can eliminate that tension, my shoots will be effortless and smooth. I had stuck the dragon a few times with my sword, and I could finally see the blood oozing down its rough green skin. I was finally able to stand up and fight the demon that has lurked inside for a long time. With the new weapon in my quiver, I can't wait to battle the beast. I will beat him now that I have the necessary tools. 

  When I got to the white ram, the distance stuck out to me and I dialed my sight. Right before the shot fired, I lost my concentration for a split second and paid the price. The arrow landed well right of where I was aiming, and I wasn't happy with the result. Instead of letting it eat at me, I stepped aside and envisioned what would have happened if I had shot the shot like I shot the four previous ones, then I moved on. 

  I followed up that shot with great shot after great shot. When I looked at the boar in the swamp, the number stuck out to me, as I've seen targets in similar settings. I used my memory really to pin the number. The small water holes through the pines made for a great set. There were a lot of obstacles to work our way through to find a number. I had a perfect aiming spot, as I could see a dark spot with a hole in it at the top of the 11. I settled onto a spot below it and buried my pin on it and waited. When the shot fired, I knew I had it. It was a no-doubter. 

  When I got to the cinnamon bear against the hill, I watched Wade and my dad shoot it low. Looking closer, I was pretty sure I knew what they did and wanted to avoid doing the same. When Jacob centered it, I felt better about my chances, as he and I usually guess yardage in similar patterns. When one of us misjudges something, we can usually figure out what the other one was thinking because we tend to see many targets the same. It's always good to shoot with someone like that. 

  My favorite shot of the day may have been the bedded buck. It was probably the coolest target set I've seen in a long time. I looked at the stake and saw the babbling brook a few yards in front of it. The bedded buck was laying in front of a stone wall (or large rock) at the base of a hill that started in front of the creek and went all the way to the target. I thought I might stick the buck in the back or shoot it in the hoof. When I finally decided on my number, I was confident. The pin found its mark and just sat in the middle. I watched it until the bow fired by itself... effortlessly. 

  After my great shot on the bedded buck, I walked around the corner to see a javelina staring back at me. It was up a small grade along a road, and the way it was set, the target looked big to me even though I knew it was a poke. The pin dipped but didn't bang when the release was ready to go. Luckily, the arrow caught the bottom of the 10 when the release decided to fire a few seconds after the dip. 

  As we made our way through the rest of that course, we encountered a few awesome target sets, and the shoot just kept getting better. The snarling wolf kind of stuck out to me. I'm not sure why, but it didn't really surprise me a whole lot. Usually when there's nothing but air, targets are closer than most archers estimate them to be at. I told Jacob something I learned a long time ago and it's usually the case for most people. When you have empty air across a ravine, most people will judge the targets too long. So I always tell myself, "Across the ravine is not as far as it seems." I usually cut some yardage, and that's what I did on the red fox. Luckily, after cutting yardage I was able to get the little critter. 

  When I saw the bedded elk as the last target of that loop, I was excited. Elk of any sort have always been my favorite targets. It's probably because of all of the elk hunting I've done and the excitement that goes along with arrowing one. The number stuck out to me and I had great markers to go off from to aim precisely at the 11. Seconds later, my arrow was sticking in the 11, and we all marched off the course. I had shot 15 targets to the best of my ability while working hard on the plan that George and I had talked about executing. We both agreed that if I could consistently execute the plan, I would be in much better shape than normal. Instead of inhibiting my abilities, I would do everything possible to release the dragon that lurks within and continuously stab it until it looks for a new place to reside. I'm looking to take full ownsfership of my inner soul, and I've finally decided I have the control to remove all squatters. It may take a bit, but those 15 targets clearly showed me that I now have the tools in my shed to fight the demon... and win. 

  Going into the last 15 targets, the wind began to big up, causing me to grip the steering wheel to try to keep it between the lines. While gripping the wheel, the tension crept into my limbs and the rest of the day wasn't quite as easy as the first loop of targets. I started off with an 8 on the impala, barely missing it high with the right number. I think it had more to do with the wind than the number. It's just where the arrow landed. I moved on and quickly rebounded with an 11 on the alert deer that was hiding amongst the mountain laurel and brush. I've always loved shooting deer targets and still do. I knew I was going to smoke it. 

  Glancing at the next target when I got to the stake, I felt my stomach quiver. It was the standing grizzly, but it wasn't facing us like we usually see that target. Instead, we had to shoot at the kill zone on its back (side), and I had to lead it off. It wasn't exactly in my back pocket, so I started dialing the sight down until I didn't have much left on it. Right after the shot broke, I kicked a tree and swore a little bit. The arrow hit well right of where I had aimed. I though I had shot a five. The wind caught me a little and the release fired. When Wade told me I had caught the 10, I found it hard to believe. However, he was correct. He got it on the other side, and I don't thing I've ever seen two arrows so far apart that were both in the 10-ring. It was just deceiving from the stake due to the little angle on the target. 

  As we worked our way through the course, I saw Jeremy, Joe, Matt and Matt. Jeremy told me he was shooting really well, but had a bad one on the turkey and shot a 5 on it. I tried to pretend I didn't hear him say it, but I couldn't un-hear it. Now, I knew a turkey was coming, and I figured it had to be a tough one if he had shot a 5 on it. I put it in the back of my mind and smoked an 11 on the Big 10 buck in the thick evergreen swamp. From there I moved on and shot another 11 on the cheetah. I had executed two perfect shots and just watched the arrow appear in the 11. 

  Walking up the road, I wasn't too happy when I saw the strutting turkey up the hill. It had a little bit of an angle to it, making the 10 even smaller than it already is. Jacob and Wade made perfect shots and appeared to me to be barely under the 10. When I drew the bow, I put my pin above their arrows and a hair to the right. Then, I forgot how to shoot my bow, and I forgot to follow the process. Instead, I tried rushing the shut between wind gusts and shot an arrow I never should have shot. I tried too hard to not miss the 10 when I should have just tried to make a good shot like I had done all day. The little bit of doubt I let creep into my head stabbed me... or should I say the dragon stabbed me? Now, I was bleeding. The battle was on. I had a few targets left to slay the beast, and I made it my goal to finish him off for the day by erasing the wound he had given to me. Before walking away, I envisioned myself making a good shot on the turkey and watching the arrow land in the 10. Then, I walked to the next stake and knew I was going to pound the long antelope down the road. 

  Jacob stepped up and placed his arrow in the 11. I followed by doing the same. We both walked away feeling good after our debacle a few minutes earlier. We followed up the antelope with 11s on the gator. We were on a roll. The next three targets, I missed the 11 by no more than an inch, and I felt great about every shot. I was so close yet so far away from capitalizing on all of them. 

  When we arrived at the last target, the fallow deer, the wind was blowing so hard, I knew it was going to have to be a good shot that fired at the perfect time. I struggled a lot with that last shot, but when it fired, it landed in the middle of the 11. I walked away feeling good about my day. I had erased the demon's damage. Walking down the trail toward the clubhouse, I flipped him the bird and said, "You've lived in there a long time, but I found your kryptonite today." 

Here's my card for the day. 

                                                             My Thoughts for the Weekend

  I'm thankful for the courses that Mark Dyer and Jason VanHillo set the last two weeks. I gained a lot from both shoots, and I'm glad I attended both events. I encourage everyone to support all archery events in your area if you can. I'm an archery nut, so I try to shoot anything I can if if doesn't conflict with prior plans. If we don't support the shoots, the people won't find it worth their efforts to provide them. 

  I have to say that Jason's course is in my Top 3 best set up shoots of all time. He made everyone roll there sights all day, and it was just a phenomenal course. Every set had a lot of work put into it. He made sure he had the right targets in the right places. The back and forth yardage proved that you don't need big yardage to make scores even out. Courses like this usually show who can actually judge all yardages. Some people are good at all long courses. Some are good at all short courses. However, not many are good at all yardages. Great job, Jason. You put this one out of the park. Kudos to you and whoever helped you. I'm glad you sat back and took all of the constructive criticism from past shoots and really showed what you learned. 

  I love the idea of Triple Crowns. I think it just adds fuel to the fire. Do you want to come from behind or do you want to be in the lead and try to hold on? Everyone approaches things differently, but it's a true test of consistency. To win a Triple Crown you can win two shoots and not win the crown. It's amazing how the winners end up with the crowns at the end. I can't wait to see how some of these classes play out. At any time, any person in the Hunter Class could win the shoot by a landslide. We have many of the regulars battling it out and a few new guys in the mix, too. Will Rob LeLacheur hang on or will Ron Sargent or one of the other guys in that mix catch him? It will be fun to watch. In the SHC, will Mike Lucier continue his incredible shooting, or will Jon Thompson and the gang catch him if he stumbles? The BBO class is stacked, and I'm sure that's going to be one where nobody is going to tap out until they're knocked out in Hudson Falls in the end of June. Then we have MBO, and I'm just glad I'm not in that class. We have the Future, the Past and the Up-and-Comer who are going to battle it out? I wish we could wager on this class. Kennedy has made the cut at the world. Tyler has won a national event, and Vallee is always in the hunt no matter what venue he chooses to shoot. I'll take wager money on all of these classes. I like cheering on everyone because I want people to be at their best. It's not fun beating up on someone while he/she is struggling, but it's really enjoyable to compete with people while they're laying it down. 

  I can't walk away from this without saying how happy I am for Joe Ricard. This is a guy who works his balls off to succeed. He should be thankful for his friends, too. A little bird has told me that one of his buddies has been helping him with his mental game and I've seen it while conversing with him on the course the last few weeks. I never would've known whether he was shooting well or poorly. Although I could see where he wanted to resort back to his old ways, he stayed the course and didn't do it. I saw it clearly. 

  I'm also thankful for my archery family, which comprises all of you. You guys all make me want to get better. I appreciate your support, and I always try to represent our region to the best of my ability. I will never be a Jacob, but I'm sure glad I have him around to help when I need a vote of encouragement. Shooting with him as helped me to concentrate. We seem to get along because we think in a similar fashion. He's also easy to bounce things off from and get honest feedback. Cheering him on this winter during indoor season was great for all of us and hopefully we will be able to do the same for him this summer. Vozzy, Wagoner and I will give our best too. Jeff and I are glad to join John this year and have some fun while we participate. I hope all of you enjoyed the shoot, and I wish you luck if you're going to any nationals or if you are just going to keep plugging along in the Northeast Triple Crown. 

  On another note, please attend the RBD if you can. This is an incredible series of shoots in which you can win A LOT of money, and you don't even have to shoot well to win. They have all sorts of great prizes, and everyone has a chance to be in the shutoff when the flights are broken at the last event. It's done just like Vegas, so you can shoot poorly and still bring home a wallet full of money. The first even to this series will be this coming weekend. I will not be able to attend due to my inability to attend the last event of the year because of a prior commitment. Since the shootoff is at the end of the last shoot, you have to be able to be there that weekend if you make it into any of the flight shootoffs. If you have any questions about this event, you can contact Rob D'Alfonso, and he can answer all of your questions.

  On a closing note, I'm a superstitious guy. A few weeks ago Ron Sargent gave me an Easton hat because I've shot Easton arrows since I was 20 years old. I told him I would give it a try. After the last two IBO events I shot over the last two weekends, the hat has passed the test. This hat has some magic in it, and I think it probably needs to stay on my head. Thank you, Ron. It is much appreciated. 

  Rob LeLacheur and I may be working on something that I think can have a far and wide reach. I'm excited to take this project on and can only imagine where it might go. Stay tuned for that.